Auto news

There aren’t many new cars in the $15,000 range anymore, largely because there aren’t many subcompact budget cars being sold. Though redesigned for 2018, the Kia Rio subcompact hatch is a throwback to the days when owning a car was a rite of passage into adulthood. It didn’t have to be flashy or...

Q: I just bought a new Honda Fit this spring. It is nice and all, but I don’t have heated seats like my old Golf and my car is parked on the street. Is there something I can get to solve this problem? — C.W., Chicago A: We have a hunch you got the Honda Fit EX model, on which heated seats are not...

With the 2018 Elantra GT Sport, Hyundai is following in the treads of the Honda Civic with a compelling redesign that offers some five-door fun under the shadow of its taller, duller cousin, the compact crossover. The second-generation hatchback rebadged from Touring to GT gets a Sport variant...

The Harley-Davidson Sport Glide model is back after a nearly 30-year hiatus. For riders looking for something more substantial than a Sportster, but eschewing a big touring bike, the Sport Glide has a split personality. Like a big bike, it comes complete with a fairing and saddle bags, but both...

Q: My CD player is broken. It seems a few CDs might be stuck in the changer. I cannot insert or extract any CDs, but the CD player will replay a few songs from two or three of the CDs that are stuck inside. Lexus quoted over $1,000 for a replacement. A local repair shop quoted $500 for a used stereo...

Q: Can you settle a dispute I have with my husband? We have a very rough asphalted road I like to drive as a shortcut. My husband says that riding on this road can crack the battery or cause other damage to the car. Is he right about this? — J.S., Oak Park, Ill. A: Continuous driving on rough roads...

BMW is recalling more than 1.4 million cars and SUVs in two U.S. recalls due to the risk of fires under the hood. The biggest recall includes more than 740,000 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i...

For months, Tesla forecast a production rate of 5,000 Model 3 electric sedans a week by the end of this December. Never mind. The company said Wednesday that milestone is being kicked ahead an additional three months, to the end of the first quarter of 2018. Tesla is facing serious problems not...

The Trump administration has quietly set aside plans to require new cars to be able to wirelessly talk to each other, auto industry officials said, jeopardizing one of the most promising technologies for preventing traffic deaths. The Obama administration proposed last December that all new cars...

Car collectors have discovered vintage pickups, and prices for really good ones reflect that. As Chevrolet celebrates the 100th anniversary of its first truck, auto auction house Barrett-Jackson collected data on the most expensive Chevy pickups it's sold. Nine have hit six figures so far, with one...

Q: I have a suggestion, not a question. I have evergreen trees hanging over my driveway and the tree sap on the vehicle is hard to remove. I tried a variety of products and had little success. But what seems to work real good is Off! insect repellent in the orange spray can. Spray it on, wait a...